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You are here: Home / Dinner / 18 Lazy Dinner Ideas For Busy Parents

18 Lazy Dinner Ideas For Busy Parents

March 4, 2022 By Lilly

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Quick & Easy Last Minute Meals in less than 15 minutes!

Calling all busy moms and dads! If you have a family with picky eaters to feed, but you’re tired of cooking dinner every night, check out this list of fast dinner recipes you can simply pick up at the grocery store on your way home from work.

Do you have a family full of picky kids? You're going to love this list of quick and easy dinner ideas you can make last minute! These are all fast and cheap to make with convenient store-bought items. They all take less than 15 minutes to prepare! Great for busy moms on a budget who are tired and don't feel like cooking every night.

These simple and cheap dinners are perfect for your picky kids and hangry husbands. They are so effortless, there’s no actual recipes here! Just a list of fun and yummy store-bought ideas you can prepare when you’re tired and don’t have dinner plans.

1. Cheesy Salsa Chicken Tacos

Cheesy Salsa Chicken Tacos | The best kid friendly dinner idea! Here is a list of fast and cheap meals to make your family on busy school nights. They are all made with just a few ingredients and are effortless to make! My picky eaters love these baked soft chicken tacos.
Mix the chicken with salsa & sour cream and stuff into small flour tortillas with shredded cheddar. Bake @375 for 5-8 minutes.

Rotisserie chicken is a life saver! For these easy soft tacos, simply pull the chicken and mix it with salsa and sour cream, stuff it into small flour tortillas with shredded cheddar, and bake until the cheese is melted and the tortillas turn golden brown. Serve with guacamole and pico de gallo? Yaaassss.

2. Crispy Chicken Ranch Wraps

Crispy Chicken Tortilla Wraps | 18 Easy Dinner Ideas For Busy Moms - If you're looking for fast meals to make on busy weeknights, you've got to check out this roundup of crazy easy dinners! They are all made with just a few basic and cheap ingredients. Perfect for a big family with picky kids.
Bake the chicken according to the package instructions and serve in flour tortillas with cheese, lettuce, and ranch dressing.

Bake your favorite brand of frozen chicken strips according to the package instructions, and then stuff them into large flour tortillas with shredded cheese, lettuce, ranch, and anything else you’d like such as tomatoes, jalapeños, or bbq sauce. These are delicious and easy to make on busy school nights!

3. Orange Chicken & Rice Dinner

Orange Chicken with Rice & Veggies | A list of quick and easy last minute dinner ideas for your picky eaters! These are all fast to make with simple and cheap ingredients. Lots of frozen food ideas and convenience items that make dinner a breeze when you have a family to feed.
Orange chicken is a favorite amongst kids, which is why I always have it stocked in my freezer. It’s so easy to just toss together with instant rice and some frozen veggies for a complete meal. Some grocery stores even have frozen veggie fried rice. Could this possibly get any easier?

4. Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas

Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas | Quick and simple dinner ideas for your picky kids! A list of fast meals you can simply pick up at the grocery store on your way home from work. Great for busy moms and dads on a budget! If your'e hungry and tired, you've got to add some of these meals to your weekly rotation.
Detailed Instructions for these Pizzadillas

A fun twist on quesadillas! Simply stuff a quesadilla with pepperoni and any other traditional pizza toppings that you’d like such as olives, peppers, or mushrooms; sprinkle with Italian seasoning, and then cook in a pan with a little butter over medium heat. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping! Tip: I recommend microwaving or pan frying the pepperoni first and then blotting out the excess grease. Detailed instructions here.

5. Chicken Alfredo with Veggies

Lazy Chicken Alfredo with Veggies | Cooking hacks! If you're a busy mom with picky eaters at home, you've got to check out this list of crazy easy dinner ideas! These all take less than 15 minutes to prepare and are delicious and fun for the kids! If you're tired of eating the same thing every night, this list is for you. Lots of ideas to pick up at the grocery store on your way home from work.
Don’t forget the other ingredients you need for the boxed pasta such as butter and milk.

A classic pasta dinner every kid loves…. made easy! Pick up a bag of frozen grilled and ready diced chicken (or a rotisserie chicken), and toss it with a box of Pasta-Roni fettuccini alfredo or any of their other flavors. Some green veggies thrown in is never a bad idea, either.

6. Crispy Chicken Sandwiches

Crispy Chicken Sandwiches | 18 Lazy Dinner Ideas For Busy Weeknights - A list of the best simple and cheap meals to make your picky family on school nights! If you're looking for fast meals to make, this roundup is for you. These recipes are all kid friendly and family approved!
Tired, hungry, and not in the mood to make dinner? Although Chick-fil-A is fast and delicious, it’s also expensive. Instead, pick up a bag of breaded chicken fillets and make your own sandwiches. Serve in burger buns with mayo, pickles, and any other sauce you’d like. Throw in some tomatoes and lettuce to make it a wee bit healthier.

7. Garlic Toast Pizzas

Easy Dinner Ideas For Picky Eaters | These garlic toast pizzas are a hit! The most popular dinner idea on Pinterest. We make them all the time for busy school nights, or anytime we don't feel like cooking and cleaning all night. Easy enough for the kids to make themselves! You're going to love this list of easy dinner ideas for busy parents on a budget!
Full Instructions for the Garlic Toast Pizzas

This is my most popular and best reviewed recipe on Pinterest! I suppose everyone loves a good, lazy family dinner. Simply bake the garlic toast according the package instructions, and then top with pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and pepperoni. Place them back in the oven for a few minutes or until the cheese melts. Get the full instructions here.

8. Cheesy Meatball Sandwiches

Easy Meatball Subs | Quick and easy last minute dinner ideas for your picky family! These recipes are all simple and cheap to make with just a few store bought ingredients.
Cook the meatballs according to the package instructions, mix with pasta sauce, and load into hoagie rolls with shredded cheese. Bake @ 400 degrees for 2-3 minutes.

Frozen meatballs are fantastic when baked and tossed with warm marinara and dumped onto hoagie rolls with shredded cheese. Once you’ve got everything loaded up onto your sandwich bread, place them in 400 degree oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts.

9. Loaded Chicken Baked Potatoes

Loaded Chicken Baked Potatoes | Dinner ideas for your picky eaters! Quick and easy meals for busy weeknights when you're tired and hungry.
Potatoes are not only cheap, they are super versatile with so many ways to prepare them. On busy school nights, we like to top them with rotisserie chicken, butter, garlic salt, shredded cheese, bacon bits, and sour cream. Easy and delicious comfort food that kids love!

10. Chili Cheese Hot Dogs

Chili Cheese Loaded Hot Dogs | Fun and easy dinner idea for busy weeknights! My kids love them! Not the healthiest, but you've got to have delicious comfort food every once in a while. These loaded hot dogs are great for school nights when you don't have dinner plans. Just pick up these simple ingredients at the store!
Hot dogs are an American classic food that make me think of summer, barbecues, family gatherings, and pool parties, but they can be enjoyed any time of the year. Top them with hot chili and shredded cheese to make them even more exciting.

11. Cheesy Ranch Cobb Salad

Cheesy Ranch Cobb Salad | Looking for quick and easy dinner ideas? Toss a packaged salad with fresh ingredients like avocado, boiled eggs, cheese, ham, bacon and you've got a filling dinner that's fast to make on busy nights! You could also add rotisserie chicken or leftover meat from the night before. Salads are versatile and healthy!
Salad kits are a dream come true! Add some protein, a little cheese, some avocado, dice ham, crumbled bacon, sunflower seeds, rotisserie chicken, and anything else you’d like for a filling and healthy, last minute dinner.

12. Ham & Cheese Sliders

Ham & Cheese Mini Sliders | My picky eaters love these little sandwiches! Serve them cold or warm. Either way, they are super fast to make on busy school nights. If you're looking for simple meals to make your family, this list of easy dinners is for you!
Brush with melted butter in a greased baking dish, cover with foil and bake @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 2-3 minutes.

Kids love anything in tiny form, and sliders are always a hit! Fill Hawaiian rolls with the deli meat and cheese of your choice and then place them in a large greased baking dish. Brush them with melted butter, cover with foil, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 2-3 minutes. Tip: You can also season the butter with garlic salt, Italian seasoning, poppy seeds, or any seasoning you’d like.

13. Lazy Lasagna

Cheesy Marinara Baked Ravioli | My most popular easy dinner idea! Just a few cheap ingredients and you've got the best weeknight meal. Here is a list of 18 Lazy dinner ideas for your picky family! These are all cheap and fast to make!
Full Instructions for the Baked Ravioli

Frozen ravioli layered in a greased 9×13 baking dish with pasta sauce and cheese! The easiest and most satisfying Italian inspired meal. This casserole takes less than 5 minutes to prepare, then you just cover it and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking for 10-15 minutes. Add some ground beef if you’d like! Get the full instructions here.

14. Rotisserie Chicken Caesar Salad

Rotisserie Chicken Caesar Salad with Garlic Bread | Super fast to make on busy weeknights when you're feeling tired and lazy! My kids actually love this salad, and it only takes a few minutes to toss together. Serve with garlic bread for a filling meal everyone will love.
We make this at least a few times a month because it’s so easy and yummy! Simply pull the chicken and toss it with your favorite Caesar salad kit. You can also top it with extra parmesan and croutons, because why not? A little garlic toast served on the side? Yes, please.

15. Hatch Chili Roast with Feta Salad

Easy Steak Dinner with Feta Salad | Looking for last minute dinner ideas to pick up at the grocery store? Here is a list of store-bought items that make it easy to prepare dinner in no time!
The vacuum sealed tri-tip steaks at Safeway and Tom Thumb are insanely good! Because of the way they are packaged they last for weeks in the fridge. The Southwest Hatch Chile is our favorite, but they are all very tasty. Simply sear it in a cast iron skillet over high heat for about 2 minutes on each side, and then place it in a 400 degree oven for about 30-50 minutes (depending on the size). We use a meat thermometer to ensure the perfect doneness.

16. BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Lazy Day BBQ Chicken Sandwiches | 18 Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknight Meals - Tired of cooking? Check out this list of simple meals to make on busy weeknights! Everything from rotisserie chicken to the best frozen items you can buy. These are all great for busy moms with picky eaters to feed! My kids love all of these recipes.
Although you can make shredded bbq chicken in your slow cooker very easily, the packaged stuff they have near the deli section in most grocery stores in pretty darn good for a fast meal! For those nights when you didn’t plan ahead, just heat up the chicken according to the package instructions and then serve on buttered and toasted buns with a coleslaw salad kit. Crunchy potato chips are a nice addition, too.

17. Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup

Grilled Cheese with Tomato Bisque | 18 Super Easy Dinner Ideas you can throw together last minute! Perfect for busy school nights when you're too tired to cook. These meals are all great for picky kids, and can be made really fast with just a few ingredients.
This classic dinner idea never goes out of style! Kids love grilled cheese sandwiches especially when served with a sweet bowl of tomato bisque soup. Add some Goldfish crackers or croutons for added crunch.

18. Sausage Jambalaya with Cornbread

Sausage Jambalaya & Cornbread | A quick and easy dinner idea you can throw together last minute! Don't have dinner plans and looking for something to make tonight? Just toss some sausage with boxed rice and bell pepper. Super tasty especially with deli bought cornbread to serve on the side.
If you like things spicy, I can’t think of anything better than cajun andouille sausage! That stuff is packed full of flavor. Simply cut it up into coins and sauté it with diced bell pepper for 5-10 minutes, and then toss with a prepared box of Jambalaya dinner mix. This meal pairs really well with cornbread which you should be able to find in the bakery section in most grocery stores.

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Filed Under: 5 Ingredients or Less, Dinner, Lazy Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: busy moms, dinner, easy dinner ideas, easy meals, family meals, picky eaters, quick dinner

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